If you are like a lot of people, the time directly before you go to bed may be spent trying to squeeze in a few additional activities before you go to sleep. You may get online to check your social media accounts, watch a TV show that you love, check your email, or play a video game right before bed. As it turns out, however, the way that you spend time directly before going to bed can have a significant impact on the overall quality of your sleep.

Sleeping well all through the night is important for your mental and physical health. It can impact everything from your emotions to your heart health and metabolism. Most experts advise adults to get anywhere from 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

If you want to sleep better, try taking the following steps:

* Get on a consistent schedule. You can keep your body's internal clock on track by sticking to a consistent sleep schedule. That means that you should go to bed at the same time every night. You should also set your alarm clock for the same time each morning -- even on the weekends. Try to avoid the temptation to sleep in, even if you were up later than usual the night before. When you stay in bed longer than usual, you may have difficulty falling asleep later that day, throwing your schedule even further off balance. Most experts recommend not hitting the snooze button since it can actually wind up making you feel more tired. Getting on a regular schedule is one of the best ways to support good sleep habits.

*Try not to consume caffeine late in the day. Avoiding coffee and other caffeinated drinks in the late afternoon or early evening can make it easier for you to fall asleep. You should also avoid eating a huge meal right before bed or taking alcohol before you go to sleep since both of these habits can disrupt your sleep.

* A good mattress or bed is something that can really help improve your chances of sleep. A lot of people are moving to new style mattresses such as Tulo as they find they really help with rest.

* Start exercising. Working out regularly may help promote better sleep. In the past, it was commonly accepted that your workouts should be done early in the day so that you could sleep better at night. As it turns out, however, you can work out any time of the day and still benefit in terms of your sleep. Experiment with different types of workouts and fit them in wherever you can. You may find that your quality of sleep drastically improves.

* Unwind before bed. To help your body and your mind relax before bed, consider soaking in a warm bath, enjoying a hot cup of tea, or reading a book. Try to avoid using electronic devices. The light from the screen can upset your body clock, making it harder to fall asleep. If you find that you can't quiet your brain down after you get in bed, you may want to try journaling before you shut off the lights. Writing down all of the things that you are worried about so that you can address them the following day can help quiet your mind so you can get better sleep.